Mechanical toy



Oct. 4, 1927.

C. A. WETZELL MECHANICAL TOY Filed` Dec. 4, 1925 `Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITIEZDl STATI-:esg

CLATLENCE A. W'ETZELL,

or STERLING, ILLINOIS.

f MECHANICAL TOY.

Application led December This invention relates to mechanical toys, andmore particularly to those adapted for .playing games. l l

-Generally stated, therefore, ythe invention contemplates a mechanicaltoy involving the ligure of a live creature and having means to operatethe tigure to cause it to throw or pitch or project an object distanceaway therefrom, in 21115' suitable manner, to simulate the playingv ofsome sort of game, or for other purposes. y To the foregoing and otheruseful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forthand claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a mechanical toyembodying theprinciples of the invention.`

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 in F ig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the adjuncts employed'in connectionwith said toy, for playing a game.

-Fig l is a perspective showing ofa different ferm of the invention. i i

As thus illustrated, the invention is a miniature horseshoe pitching orthrowing game, and comprises a toy figure in the form of a man or boyhaving a body `1, a head '2, and legs 3, the latter being made fast andrigid at their lower ends to the basefl,

,Y the parts being of wood or other suitable material. VA transverserock shaft V5 is inserted through the upper portion ofthe body 1, asshown, and the arms 6 and 7 are mounted on the ends vof this rock shaftor pivot, the arm 6 being rigid with the shaft, while the arm 7 isvloosethereon. The arm 6 has a notch 8 in the end thereof, as shown, and theshaft 5 has a short arm 9 towhich is pivoted the upper Vend .of thevertically disposed member 10, which latter extends downward through theslot 11 in the base. A horizontally disposed lever 12 is pivoted intherecess 18 of the base, at 14, and has its other end pivotally connectedat 15 with the lower end of the member 10 previously mentioned. Aplunger 16 is mounted to slide up and down in the' base, with its lowerend in pivotal connection with the lever 12, and has a spring 17 toyieldingly keep the plunger in raised position. i

A toy horseshoe 18 is adapted to be placed in the notch 8 ofthe arm 6,in position to be thrown er tossed a distance when this arm is raised,the lower ends of Lthe horseshoe 4, 1925; Serial No. 73,078.

resting l (when in f position to be thrown) upon yt-he base of the toy.n e i By pushing down suddenly on the plunger 16, the connections 9, 10and 1,2will partially rock the shaft 5, until the lever 12 engages thestop 19 in the base. This will carry the arm 6 forward and upwardapproximately Vtothe position -fshown in dotted lines Fig.

2, and will pitch or toss the horseshoe 18 a distance depending suddenpressure on the plunger.

"To pla the game of horseshoes,a base A`20 is provi ed with an uprightpin '21, thus forming a lminiature post vwhich can 'be placed inposition to'jreceive' the horseshoe. Thus, the toy'can be operated tothrow Vthe horseshoe, and-.with some practicethe'Qpupon the force of theerator can become more lo'rV ,less skillful, and

thing thrown or tossed orpitched oryvprojected into the air maybe of anysuitable character, depending upon lthe desired effectand t-he 'aine tobe played or simulated, l

or for 'any ot 1er purpose;

As shown in Fig. 4, a crank shaft 221s employed to operate the arms,instead of the rock` shaft 5, previously described. i' Also,'as shown.in Fig.` 4, the member 23 (whit-,licorresponds to the member 10previouslyl described) has its .upper endsimplynotched to engage thecrank of`this member 22 and is' bent around this crank, after "being Aapplied thereto,`in the manner shown, A.whereby a vvery simple andinexpensive construction is provided; Y'

The toy horseshoe 18, it will be seen, when inserted inthe longitudinalend notch 8 of the arm 6, forms in effect a longitudinal eX- tension ofsaid arm, with a sliding connection between the arm and the horseshoe,so v that the armand horseshoe can have relative movement between themonly in the longitudinal lane thereof. When the arm (i is raised, t iehorseshoe 18 is raised` Stitliy therewith, being retained by the .'rte'h8 in straight longitudinal extension of the'arm, but as soon as the arm6 is raised high enough,momentum then causes the horseshoe 18 to slideout of the notch S, and to depart longitudinally from the end of thearm. Before the horseshoe is tossed through the air, the support i keepsit from dropping` out of connection with the-arm 6, as without suchsupport for the lower end of the horseshoe the latter' would slide outof the notch 8, it being desirable to have thenotch. wide enough'topermit easy and tree sliding movement of the horseshoe therein.

Vithout disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any noveltydisclosed, what Iv claim asmy invention is:

1. A toy ligure of a live creature having relatively movable parts,means forming a support, and an unattached object resting on saidsupport, disposed'in position in normal detachable engagement with boththe figure and the support, havingrelative sliding connection with amovable portion of said ligure, adapted to be projected into the air bythe movement of the toy, thereby to simulate what might be done by thelive creature represented by the toy figure, said support preventingsaid object from sliding downward out of operative connection with saidportion of said figure, and means to actuate said ligure to raise saidobject from said support to a position permitting it to disconnect bymomentum from said figure, which connection is formed to lift saidobject a distance before it is disengaged from said figure.

2. A structure as speciiiedin claim 1, said toy figure being that of ahuman being, and having a movable arm forming said movable portion andnormally detachablyV engaging the upper end ofsaid object, .said armbeing movable forward and upward to disengage and toss said objectforward a distance, said support engaging the lower end of said object.n

. 3. A structure as specified in claim l, said toy ligure being that ofa human being, and havingy a movable arm forming said movable portionand normally detachably engaging said object, said arm being movableVforward and upward to disengage and toss said object forward a distance,and said object being a toy horseshoe, unattached to but resting at itslower end on said base, in combination with an element to be placed adistance from said toy figure, having an upstanding part to receive saidhorseshoe thereon or near thereto, and said means to support the lowerend of the horseshoe before it is thrown forming a base for said figure.y

4. A structure as specified in claim l, said toy tigure comprising anupright hollow body, legs rigid with said body, a base rigid with saidlegs, a head rigid with the upper end of said body, arms at the oppositesides of said body, forming two of said parts, one arm being movable andhaving a straight longitudinal end notch to detachably engage saidobject, and said vactuating means comprising an operating Vmemberextending downwardly from within said body, and` means to actuate saidmember.

5. As an article of manufacture, an unattached toy horseshoe, means fornormally engaging and detachably supporting the lower end of saidhorseshoe in position to be thrown or tossed a distance, manuallyoperated mechanism normally detachably engaging the upper end of thehorseshoe for tossing the horseshoe a distance, means having anupstanding post to receive sai-d horseshoe, and means to operate saidmechanism.

6. is an article of manufacture, a free object to be projected throughthe air, a swinging arm having detachable engagement with the upperportion of said object, the arm and object being relatively formed andprovided with means tolift the object when thearm is swung upward,vformed also to release said object by momentum and by movement thereoflongitudinally of said arm, a support for the lower portion of saidobject, to keep said object from dropping out of engagement with saidarm, mechanism for actuating said arm upward, to raise and toss saidobject through the air, and a handle to actuate said mechanism, sai-dobject forming in effect a'longitudinal extension of said arm, and thedetachable engagement between the arm and object permitting relative`movement between the two only in the longitudinal plane thereof, therebyto insure longitudinal departure of said object by momentum from saidarm, when the latter is raised. i

Specification signed this 30th day of Nov.,

CLARENCE A. VETZELL.

